Learning objectives

The course aims to develop students' skills in comprehension and production, both written and oral, of scientific texts. Particular attention will be given to the lexical, syntactic, phonological and pragmatic aspects of medical English.

Prerequisites and basic notions

The course focuses on the microlanguage related to the nursing profession (both in its scientific and practical aspects). For this reason, a proficiency in English—both written and spoken—equivalent to a B1/B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference is required. The lessons will primarily be conducted in English.

Program

ENGLISH FOR NURSING

The course aims to develop the language skills required to work effectively in international healthcare settings, enabling students to communicate with patients, family members, and healthcare professionals, understand clinical documentation, participate in care processes, and manage both routine and urgent clinical situations in English.
The course is divided into ten modules; a single lesson may, if necessary, cover more than one module.

MODULE 1
The healthcare system and healthcare professionals:

Structure of the hospital and healthcare services;
Main hospital departments;
Healthcare professions;
Differences among English-speaking healthcare systems;
Professional hierarchy;
Roles and responsibilities of:
intern;
resident;
registrar;
consultant;
attending physician;
charge nurse;
nurse practitioner;
physician assistant;
healthcare assistant;
Professional introduction to the patient;
Introduction of team members;
Professional language and communication registers;
International hospital terminology;
Terminological differences among the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia;

Practical activities:

Introducing oneself to the patient;
Explaining one's professional role;
Directing a patient within the hospital;
Collaborating with other healthcare professionals;

MODULE 2
Nursing communication and clinical data collection:

Therapeutic communication;
Patient admission and reception;
History taking;
Presenting complaints;
Medical history;
Surgical history;
Family history;
Social history;
Allergies and current medications;
Active listening techniques;
Empathic communication;
Managing anxious patients;
Managing aggressive patients;
Managing confused patients;
Basic health education;

Practical activities:

Admission interview;
Comprehensive history taking;
Explaining nursing procedures;
Communicating with family members;

MODULE 3
Respiratory nursing care:

Essential respiratory anatomy and physiology;
Respiratory assessment;
Asthma;
COPD;
Pneumonia;
Respiratory failure;
Oxygen therapy;
Nebulizers;
Inhalers;
Oxygen saturation;
Respiratory rate;
Arterial blood gas analysis;
Peak flow;
Interpretation of respiratory findings;
Signs of clinical deterioration;
Respiratory red flags;
Escalation of clinical deterioration;

Practical activities:

Explaining oxygen therapy;
Educating patients on inhaler use;
Communicating clinical findings;
Reporting respiratory deterioration;

MODULE 4
Cardiovascular and neurological nursing care:

Hypertension;
Heart failure;
Acute coronary syndrome;
Arrhythmias;
Stroke;
Seizures and convulsions;
Head injury;
Delirium;
ECG;
Glasgow Coma Scale;
Vital signs;
Troponin;
Interpretation of clinical findings;
Language of clinical deterioration;
Stroke care pathway;
Chest pain protocol;
Clinical escalation procedures;

Practical activities:

Communicating ECG abnormalities;
Reporting neurological symptoms;
Communicating critical values;
Activating urgent clinical pathways;

MODULE 5
Medications, infusions, and medication safety:

Medication administration:
Medication charts;
Medication reconciliation;
Allergies;
Contraindications;
Side effects;
Antibiotics;
Analgesics;
Anticoagulants;
Insulin;
Intravenous infusions;
Peripheral venous cannulas;
Venous access devices;
Infusion pumps;
Medication errors;
Medication education;
Communicating side effects;
Managing treatment refusal;

Practical activities:

Explaining pharmacological treatment;
Simulated medication administration;
Communicating medication errors;
Patient education;

MODULE 6
Wound care, diabetic patient care, and biological specimen management:

Wound assessment;
Dressing changes;
Signs of infection;
Wound documentation;
Blood glucose monitoring;
Hypoglycaemia;
Hyperglycaemia;
Insulin administration;
Urine specimens;
Blood specimens;
Stool specimens;
Sputum specimens;
Wound swabs;
Collection and management of biological specimens;
Interpretation of laboratory results;
Critical laboratory values;
Escalation of clinical abnormalities;

Practical activities:

Diabetes patient education;
Describing a wound or lesion;
Collection of biological specimens;
Communicating abnormal findings;

MODULE 7
Perioperative and surgical nursing care:

Surgical pathway;
Preoperative assessment;
Verification of informed consent;
Surgical time-out procedure;
WHO Surgical Safety Checklist;
Patient identification;
Allergies;
Verification of the surgical site;
Antibiotic prophylaxis;
Postoperative care;
Pain management;
Postoperative complications;
Communication in the recovery room;
Escalation of surgical complications;

Practical activities:

Time-out simulation;
Preoperative communication;
Postoperative communication;
Reporting complications;

MODULE 8
Emergency, urgent care, and management of clinical deterioration:

Patient clinical deterioration;
Rapid Response Team;
Medical Emergency Team;
Emergency communication;
Closed-loop communication;
Prioritisation;
Escalation chains;
Code Blue;
Code Red;
Code Black;
Code Silver;
Code Pink;
Emergency activation chain;
Managing communication under pressure;

Practical activities:

Activating a Code Blue;
Communication during resuscitation;
Calling the physician;
Activating the MET/RRT;

MODULE 9
Mental health, addictions, and safeguarding vulnerable individuals:

Psychiatric nursing care;
Psychosis;
Schizophrenia;
Mania;
Depression;
Anxiety;
Suicide risk assessment;
Self-harm;
Violence risk assessment;
Methamphetamine intoxication;
Alcohol intoxication;
Opioid intoxication;
Withdrawal management;
Trauma-informed care;
Child protection;
Safeguarding vulnerable individuals;
Mandatory reporting;
Privacy and confidentiality;
Limits of professional confidentiality;
Communication with vulnerable patients;

Practical activities:

Suicide risk assessment;
Verbal de-escalation;
Management of agitation;
Communicating situations of abuse or neglect;

MODULE 10
Clinical documentation, handover, and integrated professional practice:

Nursing documentation;
SOAP notes;
DAR notes;
Progress notes;
Electronic Health Records (EHR);
Electronic Medical Records (EMR);
Clinical documentation;
Medico-legal documentation;
Incident and adverse event reporting;
Patient fall documentation;
Medication error documentation;
Privacy and confidentiality protection;
GDPR and healthcare communication;
Structured handover using the ISBAR model;
Clinical escalation language;
Clinical warning signs (Red Flags);
Professional communication under pressure;
Continuity of care;

Practical activities:

Completing nursing documentation;
Using ISBAR;
Clinical handover;
Documenting adverse events;
Integrated simulation of complex clinical cases.

Didactic methods

Teaching activities will combine interactive lectures with active learning methodologies aimed at developing communication skills in healthcare settings. The course will include clinical role-plays, simulation-based activities, nursing handovers, clinical case discussions, problem-based learning, and group work.
Technology-enhanced learning activities will also be implemented, including interactive quizzes, collaborative digital platforms, production of video tutorials, and recorded communication simulations followed by structured feedback and reflective analysis.
The course will incorporate flipped classroom activities, exercises based on authentic clinical documentation, guided use of English-language healthcare audiovisual materials, and analysis of clinically complex communication scenarios.
Teaching methodologies will be designed to promote active participation, experiential learning, integration of linguistic and clinical competencies, development of clinical reasoning, and communicative autonomy in real professional settings.
Clinical simulations with peer feedback;
Structured communication stations based on the OSCE model;
Use of artificial intelligence tools and chatbots for patient-provider simulations;
Digital microlearning modules;
Language-focused clinical escape rooms;
Reflective writing and post-simulation critical analysis;
Analysis of communication errors in clinical care settings;
Structured simulations based on the SBAR model;
Telemedicine and telehealth simulations;
Development of patient education materials in English;
Digital storytelling activities in clinical contexts;
Team communication and coordination exercises;
Gamification and challenge-based learning activities;
Recorded nurse-patient interview simulations;
Analysis and discussion of authentic clinical cases in English;
Collaborative activities using digital learning platforms;
Guided use of authentic clinical videos and audiovisual materials;
Structured debriefing following clinical simulations;
Small-group clinical problem-solving activities;
Flipped learning activities.

Learning assessment procedures

The examination will consist of an oral assessment designed to evaluate students’ language and communication skills in nursing and clinical settings.

The examination will be divided into two parts, for a maximum total score of 30 points:

In the first part, students will be asked five questions related to the topics covered during the course. Questions may address theoretical concepts, professional terminology, nursing procedures, clinical communication, and organizational aspects of the nursing profession.

Students will be required to answer orally in English, demonstrating an accurate understanding of the subject matter, appropriate use of nursing and medical terminology, effective speaking skills, and sufficiently clear and understandable pronunciation.

Each answer will be worth up to a maximum of 2 points, for a total maximum of 10 points.

The five questions will be evaluated according to the following rubric:

0 points: no answer, irrelevant answer, or substantially incorrect answer;

1 point: partially correct answer, but incomplete, unclear, or characterized by limited or inaccurate use of professional terminology;

2 points: correct, clear, relevant answer using appropriate nursing and healthcare terminology.

In the second part, students will be presented with two brief clinical nursing scenarios selected from the professional areas covered during the course. The scenarios will be presented in English and will require students to participate in a realistic professional simulation.

For each scenario, students will engage in a brief dialogue with the instructor, the teaching assistant, or, in some cases, another student, assuming the role of a nurse and demonstrating the ability to use English appropriately in a clinical setting.

The simulations may involve, for example, patient admission, nursing history-taking, explaining nursing procedures, communicating clinical findings, initiating escalation procedures, conducting an ISBAR handoff, managing vulnerable patients, communicating during emergency situations, documenting adverse events, or other professional situations addressed during the course.

Each dialogue will be worth up to a maximum of 10 points, for a total maximum of 20 points. Evaluation will take into account the accuracy of the content, appropriateness of terminology, fluency, pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, ability to adapt language to the communicative context, and overall effectiveness of professional communication.

Each dialogue will be evaluated according to the following rubric:

0–1 points: absent or nearly absent performance. The student is unable to sustain the dialogue, provides minimal or incomprehensible responses, or does not demonstrate an understanding of the proposed clinical scenario;

2–3 points: very limited and hesitant communication. The student is able to produce only very simple utterances, relies heavily on assistance from the interlocutor, demonstrates limited professional vocabulary, makes numerous grammatical errors, and experiences significant difficulties with pronunciation or comprehension;

4–5 points: basic but only partially effective communication. The student generally understands the scenario and is able to convey some essential information, but content is incomplete, terminology is limited or imprecise, grammatical errors are frequent, and fluency is reduced;

6–7 points: communication that is clinically adequate but linguistically imperfect. The student manages the clinical situation in a generally appropriate manner and uses some of the required professional terminology, but still demonstrates grammatical errors, hesitation, lexical imprecision, or pronunciation difficulties that reduce the naturalness and effectiveness of communication;

8–9 points: clear, appropriate, and professionally effective communication. The student interacts independently, uses appropriate nursing and clinical terminology, organizes information coherently, makes only minor errors, and maintains a communication style suitable for the context;

10 points: fully effective, accurate, and professional communication. The student manages the dialogue confidently, demonstrates grammatical accuracy, clear pronunciation, appropriate professional vocabulary, clinically relevant content, and an effective ability to adapt communication to the patient, family member, or healthcare professional involved.

The total duration of the oral examination will be approximately 10–12 minutes per student.

Evaluation criteria

The final examination score will be assessed on a 30-point scale. For grading and transcript purposes, students will receive a designation of PASS for scores of 18/30 or above and FAIL for scores below 18/30.

Exam language

Inglese